James Blunt | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Blunt in 2017 | |
| Born | James Hillier Blount 22 February 1974 |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol (BSc) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse |
Sofia Wellesley (m. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1996–2002 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Service number | 547098 |
| Unit | Life Guards |
| Battles / wars | Kosovo War |
James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount, 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He has released seven albums since 2004 and has sold over 20 million records worldwide.
As a British Army captain in the aftermath of the Kosovo War, Blunt was involved in the British refusal to engage Russian troops at Pristina Airport. After leaving the army, he rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album Back to Bedlam, achieving worldwide fame with the singles "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover". His first album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide, topping the UK Albums Chart and peaking at number two in the US. "You're Beautiful" reached number one in thirteen countries, including the UK and the US. Back to Bedlam was the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK,[2] and is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history.[3]
Blunt's second album, All the Lost Souls, released in 2007, reached number one in twelve countries. He went on to release a further five albums, at intervals of approximately three years: Some Kind of Trouble (2010), Moon Landing (2013), The Afterlove (2017), Once Upon a Mind (2019) and Who We Used to Be (2023).[4]
As of 2013, Blunt had sold over 20 million records worldwide.[5] He has received several awards, including two Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 2006—two MTV Video Music Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards, as well as receiving five Grammy Award nominations and an Honorary Doctorate of Music in 2016 from the University of Bristol.
- ^ Artist Biography by Matt Collar. "James Blunt | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (30 December 2009). "James Blunt makes decade's best-selling album". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (13 October 2018). "The UK's Top 40 biggest studio albums of time". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- ^ Thomson, Liz (27 October 2023). "Album: James Blunt – Who We Used to Be". The Artsdesk. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Reeves, Verity (21 October 2013). "James Blunt: The Marmite of the pop industry is back and he means business". Daily Express. Retrieved 6 August 2014.